Wednesday, April 29, 2009

La Esquina


I recently discovered a very popular restaurant here in New York City that I thought I would share with all of you.

La Esquina, or “The Corner” in Spanish, reflects the traditions of a classic Mexican restaurant food, with an updated atmosphere and food and beverage preparations presentations. These elements are derived directly from the food and social scene happening in Mexico City today. Neighborhoods like Condesa and Polanco in Mexico City are experiencing an influx of international influences and a bold resurgence in the Arts and Food.

The food at La Esquina, reflective of Mexico City itself, draws influence from multiple regions around the country with emphasis on Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz. Our drink list and offerings rely heavily on Tequila and Mezcal to be consumed in the traditional way – with a sangrita chaser. Our wine list has been chosen both because the selections complement our menu and because the selections are derived from both Latin and old-world regions around the globe.

Centrally located at the south end of East SoHo's Lt. Petrosino Park, the Corner Deli is a turn of the century landmark structure. The Manhattan Diner or Luncheonette is one of the last examples of a vanishing breed. Tucked in below a fashionable loft building, the 200 sft. wedge shaped structure has been serving customers for a century, 24 hours a day 365 days a year. This charming piece of old New York has gotten a new lease on life with an extensive renovation, and an expansion into the basement vault space below. The new and improved Corner Deli serves delicious Mexican food inspired by the simple home cooked cuisine of the Mexican street vendor. Simple, but intensely flavorful variations of Mexican street food, is the perfect match for the busy bustle of a restaurant that provides dine-in, take-out, and delivery service.

Go to http://www.esquinanyc.com/ for more information.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Beautiful Weather

Even though Spa Week in NYC is long gone, take today to Give Back to yourself. This does not mean take a day to get everything done on your to-do list. No errands or cleaning allowed! Just take this beautiful day to enjoy some down time at home or outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the life so much that we forget that we need to take care of ourselves! Enjoy the newspaper, a magazine, or a novel. Do something for yourself you haven’t done before.

With spring in the air, let’s shed our winter coats and take this beautiful weekend to rejuvenate and renew!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Soak up the Sun with a Sponge Cake

With the weather heating up (it’s going to be 80 degrees in NYC this weekend!), I thought it would be a good idea to share a good picnic food idea with all of you. Here is a great recipe for a cake that can be easily taken outdoors and enjoyed in the shade of a beautiful leafy tree.

Perfect for picnics, this easy sponge cake can be carried in the springform pan in which it is baked. Pair it with fresh fruits such as sweet cherries, strawberries or peaches and it makes a perfect snack.

Sponge Cake
For 1 cake (6 to 8 servings) you will need:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Dash of salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter

Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Beat in vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture and mix to blend. Scald milk in small saucepan. Add butter, stirring until melted. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, mixing just enough to blend. Pour batter into a greased 8 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees until top of cake is well browned and cake tests done when a wooden pick is inserted at center, about 35 minutes.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Midnight Run

I’ve come across a wonderful organization here in New York that I thought was more than worthy of a mention on my blog. The folks at Midnight Run organize relief runs during the night to give out food, clothing and other vital supplies to the homeless throughout the NYC area. They are a “volunteer organization dedicated to finding common ground between the housed and the homeless.” They run over 900 missions per year and even coordinate with different shelters and facilities to provide showers, haircuts, and medical services to those in need. Their goal is not to provide a solution to homelessness but rather establish a foundation of caring and sharing between the housed and the homeless so that solutions can evolve. With all of the problems that exist in our world, it is refreshing to find an organization that focuses on the relationships of its volunteers and the people they serve as opposed to the quantities of items or money that are raised.

Midnight Run depends on donations for their items as well as volunteers to actually go out on the runs. Please go to www.midnightrun.org to find out how you can help. If you don’t live in the NYC area, Google a midnight run near you – similar organizations are all over the U.S.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

David Monn on Weddings - Martha Stewart and WWD

Tune in today to the Martha Stewart show: David Monn, Vera Wang and Frederick Fekkai will give their expert opinions on how to have the beautiful wedding of your dreams within your budget!

And, David was quoted this Tuesday's Women's Wear Daily in the Bridal Report by Rosemary Feitelberg.

"Outsmarting the Recession One Bride at at Time."
"Beauty isn't something that comes with a price tag first"... "hopefully people will feel inspired and will feel good." "Weddings give people an excuse for a moment to feel good."




Friday, April 10, 2009

Streamer Tablecloth



We came up with some very creative ideas for our Wedding Showcase on Monday. A lot of people have been asking how I created certain elements, so I’ve decided to post some of our ideas and directions for them here.

Below are directions for how to put together a crepe paper tablecloth. While it took us 3 hours to put together, it only cost $8! What’s more, it’s quite practical and looks like fabric. Guests at the showcase could hardly believe it was paper. It is definitely a do-able project that you can do for a special spring/summer get together or dinner party.


Crepe Paper Streamers Tablecloth
(This project works best with two people.)

-Take a plain paper rectangle paper table cloth and lay on a flat surface
Lay streamers horizontally across the paper tablecloth with a little excess past the cloth underneath.
-Weave vertical streamers through the horizontal ones.
-Once strips are in place, carefully glue underside of woven squares to each other. Not every square needs glue – you can judge which do and which don’t.
-After the glue has dried then pick up table cloth from both ends and place directly onto table.
-Cut the bottom edge to the floor and round the edges for a more polished look.
-Add glue to any strips on the bottom edge, as needed.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Thank you!

Our wedding showcase was last night and we could not be happier with the turn out. We got to reconnect with old friends as well as meet tons of new people. Our office was transformed, the food was great, and the music was entertaining. Check out some pictures of the party below.














A very special "thank you" goes to all of the following companies who helped us put together this event:

Callahan Catering for the delicious food and cocktails. http://www.callahancatering.com/

Cake Alchemy for their wonderful carrot cake. Yum! http://www.cakealchemy.com/

Xavier Flouret Wine for their fabulous product. www.cognac-one.com/?page=xavier_flouret_wines

Ayala Champagne for their fabulous bubbly. www.cognac-one.com/?page=ayala_champagne

GroundStone for their entertaining singing. www.myspace.com/groundstone1

Empyreal Strings for their amazing musical ensemble. Strings and Metallica…who knew? http://www.empyrealstrings.com/

Party Rental, Ltd. for their wonderful rental products. http://www.partyrentalltd.com/

Ceci New York for their beautiful invitations. http://www.cecinewyork.com/

Linda Pasca from Pen and Paper for her beautiful calligraphy. http://www.penandpaperdesign.com/

The Beistle Company for their crepe paper and honeycomb paper balls. http://www.beistle.com/

Billy’s Bakery for their sugary cupcakes. http://www.billysbakerynyc.com/

One Girl Cookies for providing wedding favor cookies for our gift bags. http://www.onegirlcookies.com/

VivoWhite for their teeth whitening pens that were a great addition to our gift bag. http://www.vivowhite.com/

Ad Source Marketing for providing our gift bags. http://www.adsourcemarketing.com/

Crane & Co. for providing the new editon of their Wedding Blue Book for our gift bags. It’s a wonderful resource – and some of it is available online. www.crane.com/navContentProduct.aspx?Name=Etiquette_Wedding

WellWed Magazine for providing their beautiful magazine for our gift bags (you guys should check it out!). http://www.wellwed.com/
Last, but not least... a HUGE thank you to the most amazing production company, Crazy Duck Productions, owned by Chuck and Sarah Fishbein. They helped us capture the event with video and still shots that are inspiring. http://www.duckyou.com/

Friday, April 3, 2009

Getting Ready!

We're busy getting ready for the wedding showcase on Monday!

We're having fun crafting and putting everything together. Be sure to check in next week for pictures of the showcase along with all of my top secret ideas for fun spring entertaining.

For now, here are some pictures of Sammy lounging on a sample table as we work.